- When Mia learned that finding love in the country was no easy feat, she came up with the perfect idea.
- Giving farmers the chance at love, Mia created the dating app, Howdy, in March 2024.
- With 14,000 downloads, Mia isn’t the only one who has since found love!
Here Mia tells her story in her own words.
Riding my chocolate brown horse Fonzie around my family farm, I felt the warm air whip my cheeks.
Since leaving high school, I’d been horse training and breeding steeds on our 50-acre property in Woodville, in the NSW Hunter Region.
And I loved competing in horse shows on the weekends.
My lovely mum Jane, who brought me up as a single parent, was so proud of my passion.
‘It’s hard to find love out here.’
Just before my 21st birthday in September 2022, my boyfriend of two years and I had broken up.
It was devastating, but at least I had my four-legged pals at home to keep me company.
I’d also enrolled at uni in Armidale, studying online for a double-degree in agriculture and business.
But as the months rolled by, I was feeling like a piece of my life was missing.
‘It’s hard to find true love out here,’ I confided in a friend.
‘I completely agree!’ she said.
The closest city was Newcastle, around 50 minutes away.
I’d been on a couple dates there, but I just didn’t feel a connection with city folks.
I’d also tried my hand on the dating apps, but with mostly men from Newcastle and Sydney coming up, we just weren’t compatible.
Talking with others my age, as well as older farmers, it seemed everyone found it difficult to find love in the country.
Although our natural surroundings are absolutely breathtaking, it can also come with severe isolation.
‘Why don’t I just made my own app to help rural folk form relationships?’
The mental health stats in our agricultural communities are horrific, with one farmer dying by suicide every 10 days.
Then an idea hit me. Why don’t I just make my own app to help rural folk form relationships?
I spent all my free time brainstorming how the app would work, and lovingly named it Howdy, as a nod to my country community.
After registering the name in October 2023, I took out a business loan to help kick things into gear.
Then I got to work with a team of developers to help create the ultimate app for hopeful romantics living on the farm.
There are fewer people in the country than the city, so I felt it was important for people to really stop, read and connect.
Instead of speed-swiping singletons’ profiles, I wanted Howdy users to gain a better understanding of their potential matches.
So I made sure to include icebreaker questions as part of everyone’s profile.
Whether it was a preference for riding a motorbike or a horse, or something as simple as craving salty or sweet foods, I hoped this would help kickstart some fun conversations.
With the launch of Howdy in March 2024, I started spreading the word!
‘It’s definitely been a struggle to date.’
‘This is amazing!’ Mum told me, proudly.
My friends were equally supportive and thrilled to have a chance at finding love on the farm, thanks to my creation.
In the first three months we had a couple of thousand downloads.
And as word spread, more and more people began logging on each day.
I also made a test account in April to see how the app was going.
I work for a start up, I wrote in my bio, and accompanied it with a carousel of pictures of me with my bull Haloumi, my horse Fonzie, and with my girlfriends at the races.
I wasn’t thinking much about matching with anyone, but I wanted to ensure all the features of the app were running smoothly.
Shortly after joining, however, I came across a profile of a farmer called Joshua, then 27, based in Uduc, WA.
He seems lovely, I thought, flicking through photos of him on his tractor with his kelpie Hazel.
‘I fancy you.’
When I told him I was the owner of Howdy, he was super impressed.
That’s so cool! he wrote.
Bonding over our passion for agriculture, I sensed we’d be a great match.
‘It’s definitely been a struggle to date,’ he revealed, mentioning he’d been single for a couple of years and spent his whole time on the family farm.
We quickly began speaking every day on the app, and eventually transferred over to calls and FaceTimes.
Despite the 4000km distance between us, I was eager to meet Joshua.
So that May I invited him to come to Beef Week in Rockhampton, Qld, where I was going to hold a cocktail event for Howdy.
As we shared our first hug, sparks flew between us. I was busy networking for most of the night, but later on we managed to steal a quiet moment together.
‘I fancy you,’ he confessed.
I felt the same way, so we made a pact to fly to each other’s homes for a week once every month.
Despite our hectic work and uni schedules, the 10-hour trip’s well worth it.
‘He’s got a heart of gold.’
When Joshua introduced me to his family that June, I was nervous, but it was so great to meet them.
And when he met my mum the next month, he thought she was super special.
‘He’s got a heart of gold,’ Mum said.
Ten months into our long-distance relationship, we’re very happy with how things are going.
We make sure to connect every day, whether it’s a video call or string of loving messages.
I can’t quite believe that I found love on my own dating app!
And I’m not the only one – several other success matches have shared their stories with me.
One couple each drove five hours for their first date, and are still going strong despite the distance.
It’s crazy to think they may never have met if not for my app.
Ahead of our first birthday in March, I’ve expanded the app for anyone living rurally – not just those with farming backgrounds.
With 14,000 downloads, I’m thrilled to have played cupid in the country.
No matter your location, everyone deserves to find their soulmate.
